I have way too many Feelings about this episode. I have to watch it again.
'Our Mrs. Reynolds'
Supernatural 2: Why is it our job to save everybody?
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I agree that the first two episodes of this season were much better than I expected. I had no specific reasons for low expectations, just at assumption that at this point the writers would be coasting. But so far (early days) it looks like a first rate season.
I didn't actually like this episode as a whole, but I liked lots of little parts. The trenchcoat, the Dean and Sam pain conversation, Dean's desperation in the phone call, and seeing Sheriff Mills again.
Um, I would also be very willing to read Sam and Dean pain fic that comes along.
Oh! and Bobby's conversation with Dean about not being okay and then calling him "idjit". Maybe I will have to watch again.
Really did like this episode as a whole.
Incidentally one thing I should have considered when anticipating staleness: Sera Gamble. Not old hat to her - a new toy to play with. So whatever goes right or wrong it won't be staleness and "I've been doing this too long" syndrome.
That's not really true, though -- she's been writing for the show since the first season, and has been a producer since S3.
But only a showrunner for two seasons. Very different because she has final say over arc.
I guess. But my take is that she's been there so long, she's not going to take the show in some entirely weird or unexpected direction. She knows the characters, and she also knows the fans.
Sure, but at the same time she hasn't had to deal with every episode the way Kripke did until now. I'd think that there is a bit, "now I can do this". And since she is a fan as well as a long term writer and producer stuff won't come out of left field. But it won't be the same thing Kripke would have to fight if he was still doing it. I mean he might have been able to fight it off, and keep things fresh. But I suspect that with her, staleness is a non-issue.
I used to play GI Joes with other boys as a kid. And they were actually pretty generous about letting me have a share in shaping the story and what have you when it was their GI Joe's. But when I got one of my own for a birthday I could do anything I wanted with, that was a whole different thing.